Right Thing To Say
by CharlieWise
Summary: Gibbs knock on Tony's door because he's worried about Ziva. A tag to prime suspect. Co-authored by the great PurpleJelloTIVA206
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: We've not been able to convince the show runners of NCIS to sell the show to us, so we don't own it. just our own plot lines. **

**This is co-authored by the amazing PurpleJelloTIVA206, which made this story so much better.**

Tony was poking around in his Chinese food, looking for another shrimp. Moving images of a movie he had already seen filled his television screen. Tony's mind was reeling and would not stop putting thoughts in his head.

He'd been so happy when he got the nod to go to the Bahamas. It had felt so great that Gibbs had trusted him to go there, to take Dorneget, which meant that the boss figured he could handle this by himself. The weather had been great, but everything he expected to find in the Bahamas had been a little less bright, a little less interesting.

He kept thinking of things he wanted to say, but then turned around and figured the comment was mute with Dorneget. Ziva would have laughed though, It wasn't till he was lying in his bed the first night. Having sent her a goodnight message telling her how he forgot his gummy bears for the plane ride that he realized he missed her. Not as a partner, because he realized that the moment Dorneget came to the airport with two bags instead of one.

It was that he just missed her, her company. He'd not gone this long not talking to her since the bombing and it had been only 17 hours since he'd last seen her.

A knock on his door pulled him out of his thoughts and disrupted his search for shrimp. He put the carton on the coffee table and tiptoed towards the door, hoping it was not the lady from across the hall.

"Boss, what are you doing here?" Tony asked as he opened the door.

Gibbs walked right past him and seem to check if there was anyone else in the apartment before turning around to face him.

"It's Ziva." Gibbs said and Tony's reaction was quick as he reached for his shoes while simultaneously trying to reach for his jacket.

"Is she okay? What happened, is she hurt? Where are we going?" Tony asked dropping his shoe to get his coat on faster, but before he could get one arm in the sleeve he felt Gibbs slap him on the back of the head.

This made Tony freeze and really take a look at Gibbs, he had his worried face on, but not his _if you don't hurry somebody I care about is going to get hurt and if we are late because of you I'll hurt you face_ as Tony had called it, no this was more an, _I'm worried about somebody I care about but I am not sure how to fix it_ face. There wasn't much difference between the two, but having worked with this man for over ten years had realized the difference between a creased eyebrow and slightly squinted eyes and a creased eyebrow with slightly dilated pupils.

"What's going on Boss?" Tony asked, having realized Ziva wasn't in immediate danger, but he was still carrying a unsettling feeling in his stomach.

"Ziver, you noticed anything different about her? At work, her focus on the job?." Gibbs asked .

"She's just going to a really rough time, she lost her family. I know that she's been making little mistakes, but she just has to work through this." Tony responded, not sure where Gibbs was going with all of this. "Maybe you should go talk to her Boss, lord knows I've tried. She just keeps saying she's fine." Tony said, letting his frustrations about not being to help Ziva out, but then feeling guilty about sharing this with Gibbs. He was just at a loss; he wanted her to really be fine again.

Gibbs looked at Tony. He'd seen this man at his all time best and his all time low, neither of those two had disappointed him. He'd once told him to not waste good. That had been the reason to hire him, which was also the reason he was here now. "DiNozzo, you've tried to _be there_ for her."

"Yes, I've been trying boss, but this thing about her father and his death, she keeps shutting me out. She probably just needs time to figure it all out." Tony answered

"We don't have time." Gibbs responded.

"What's that suposed to mean? We gave Vance two months." Tony said not believing Gibbs wouldn't give Ziva the time she needed to mourn.

"It was because of Ziva" Gibbs said sighing.

"Because of Ziva? Ziva isn't the reason her father is dead!" Gibbs just continued to stare at Tony until finally Tony realized what the older man was talking about. "Oh you mean..." Tony trailed off.

"I need you to _talk_ to her." Gibbs said.

Tony looked at Gibbs, his facial expression letting Tony know this was not a request and Tony guessed that was the end of the conversation. Tony sat back down on the couch to fix his shoes. If he gave himself time to think about what he was going to say to Ziva he would probably chicken out.

"It was really Ziva's fault your suspect name got leaked?" Tony asked.

Gibbs stopped at Tony's doorway, already halfway out into the hall way and looked back.

"She got played. Tony, I'm trusting you with this." Gibbs said and waited for Tony to look up at him before adding. "Don't screw it up."

"Right boss, no pressure then" Tony said to no one after Gibbs left.

-TIVA-

Tony knocked on Ziva's door still not sure what to actually say to her. He tried to think of ways he could work the topic into a normal conversation but so far he had come up empty. Right now he was relying on his easy relationship with Ziva and natural charm.

What is the worst thing that could happen right? She kicks you out and never trusts you again, ask for transfer, or worse moves back to Israel. Tony took a deep breath and let it go, figuring he'd already knocked and it would be weird if he just left.

"Tony, what are you doing here?" Ziva asked looking perplexed as she opened the door.

"I wanted to..." Tony couldn't find an appropriate end to the sentence so just stated the obvious

"...talk to you?"

Ziva frowned at him but opened the door further to let him in. "Do you want something to drink first?" she asked.

"No, No, I'm fine I guess." Tony answered walking further into Ziva's apartment and hearing her footsteps follow after she closed the door.

Tony looks up at her and really looks at her, she was wearing comfortable sweat pants, a tight fitted blue tank top and a light vest over the tank top. Tony was used by now to how she could make the most simple clothes look sexy but he still could not go over how she could also be so beautiful in everything.

"What do you want to talk about?" Ziva asked as she beckoned towards the living area..

"Well." Tony started trying to gather his thoughts, he wondered how some people could always find the right thing to say. Did those people think everything over before speaking or did their mind work in such a way that they knew what the right thing to say was.

"Tony?" Ziva prodded, getting anxious because of Tony's nervous behavior.

"Ziva, I'm worried about you." Tony finally spoke, hoping that him keeping calm and honest would steer the conversation that way as well. .

"I am fine." Ziva answered crossing her arms defensively, across her chest.

"That's just it, you're not." Tony answered.

Ziva let go of a sigh and pursed her lips slightly before speaking. "I'm working, we caught the number two hacker of the world, a thief, an espionage gang and a serial killer all in the past month, yes?"

"Yes, but Ziva."

"But what Tony?" Ziva answered leaning on one hip and her feet spread slightly. Ziva's body language was screaming her annoyance at the conversation.

"You've not been at the top of your game. You dropping your folders, you forgot to turn in a report, came in late twice, you even forgot to lock your gun away." Tony said calmly, knowing that if he pushed with anger and agressive body language he would lose control of where the conversation was going.

"What? You've been keeping score?" Ziva said furiously.

Tony knew that a really angry Ziva was the last of her defenses. She was used to having the upper hand, by playing games and being one step ahead. Not being in control was one of Ziva's greatest fears and right now he could tell she was trying to regain the upper hand.

"No, of course not, I'm your partner you notice these kind of things." Tony answered.

"So what, lately I've not been sleeping and for the record I did not forgot to store my gun away, I wanted to clean it." Ziva answered pissed off.

"You clean your gun in the armory not in the bullpen." He reasoned back at her.

"Tony I am fine, nothing is interfering with how I do my job." Ziva almost screamed at him.

"It is Ziva, you didn't even notice, when the guy from metro got the name from you. Probably reading it off your report which was open on your desk. You were played and you don't even know it." Tony said calmly.

This was the last straw for Ziva, who simply marched over to her door opening it wide.

"Out." She said the venom practically falling of her lips.

Tony looked at her, she was almost shaking with anger. But if he looked closely he could see the small flicker of doubt forming in her eyes. The cracks in her armor growing bigger. If he walked out of here right now all progress they've made since the bombing would be gone, but she would still work with him. If he pushed through he might lose her completely. He took a deep breath and made his decision.

**A/N: let me know what you think... We like to be evil, but reviews make us happy and turn us good and will makes us update soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: A big thank you to everyone who reviewed! I sent you all a message but I've no way to reach the 'guests' that have reviewed. To the guests thank you for all the support!**

**This chapter would not have been here like this had it not been for PurpleJelloTIVA206 who is absolutely amazing!**

"That's just it, that's how you deal with things. you push them away." Tony said stepping closer to her. "You don't give them a second thought and you pretend you're done with them."

Ziva's strong, angry and confident stance weakened a little as her shoulders slumped. "The thing is, you're not done with them, you didn't work through it and it's weighing you down. So much that you don't even notice you're getting played." Tony said now standing right before her.

Ziva looked up at him, he could see the hurt in her eyes, the betrayal she felt at his apparent lack of trust. Ziva was disappointed in herself when her voice came out shaky, betraying her real emotions. "If you don't trust me to have your back, than why don't you go ask Gibbs or Vance for a new partner."

Her lip quivered and Tony knew that the wrong move on his part would break their relationship, their partnership, their new us, everything. Again he was faced with the reality that he was not good at saying the right thing, he was again left wondering how people could find the right things to say. How could he make sure that he wouldn't lose her?

"I don't want another partner, neither do I want the old one back. Ziva I want to be here for you, all of you. The strong confident mossad officer who drove me mad, the beautiful woman that amazes me everyday and the great and insightful NCIS agent who keeps me on my toes every minute and is the best damn partner anyone, I could ever ask for. I am doing this because I want to be here for you, not just the parts you let people see ,but the whole package. And because you have not worked through this and '_you'_ don't have to do that alone. You are not alone." Tony said putting his hands on her shoulders and squeezing them lightly for support.

He looked into her eyes, unshed tears filled them completely, changing the usually dark brown color of her eyes to a much lighter shade of brown. "Just let go Ziva, take them out of the boxes you've put them in, think about them. Remember them, grieve them." Tony said and she dropped her head.

"Grieve for the loss you've endured. Grieve for Mrs Vance." Tony whispered and a stubborn tear fell from Ziva.

"Grieve for your father." Another few tears started to fall.

"For your mother." The tears were falling freely now.

"For Ari." There was a slight hiccup in her tears but Tony did not notice as there was one last name he had to call out.

"Grieve for Tali." He whispered and Tony could physically see her break. Her shoulders slumped all the way, before they started to shake because of the sobs. Her knees buckled, her arm fell limp to her side. If she had not been standing against the doors she would have fallen to the ground.

Tony pulles Ziva against him and lets her sob against his shoulder. He pushes the still open door closed before guiding her to the couch. He sits both of them down on the couch, stroking her hair and back while whispering that there will be a time that she'll be all right.

"You're going to be alright. You're going to get through this. You're not alone, You're a good person and things will look up. I promise." Tony whispered in her ear as he pulled her just a little closer, but Ziva pulled away.

Ziva squeezed her eyes together in the hope that her tears would stop faling but it only made it worse. Tony did not understand, he thought he was doing a good thing that she was letting him be there for her, but again like so many times before she pulled away.

"Ziva, hey. What's going on?" Tony asked as she continued to quietly sob with her back towards him. Ziva tried to think of a way to explain this to him. To explain that she was not a good person, and she never had been for as long as she had known him. But revealing this could possibly lead to her losing him his image of her would change, and she couldn't risk that, not now., She was so scared he would leave her alone. That she would truly be alone.

"You don't understand Tony, I'm not a good person." Ziva whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of what she was about to reveal

"That's crazy, of course you're a good person." Tony said putting his hand on her shoulder, to make her turn around so he could see her, but she shrugged of his hand.

"It's not nonsense Tony, it's the truth. It's all my fault. If I had been a better daughter, my father would be alive, Mrs Vance would have been alive and those two wonderful kids would have the mother they deserve. If it hadn't been for me, my mother and Tali would have still been alive. It's all my fault that my family is dead." Ziva said as a new round of sobs that she was not able to stop bubbled to the surface.

"Ziva, you're not at fault for any of their deaths. You didn't plant the roadside bomb that got your sister and mother killed on their way to pick you up. Your father came here because you inspired him to be a better man. His prior actions are what got him killed and Mrs Vance in the crossfire. You are at no way at fault for any of your families deaths." Tony said and instead of some sort of thankful gesture that he expected, a wave of fresh tears overcame Ziva as she moved further away from him. Tony wished he was good at this, wishing he understood what he had said that caused more tears.

"Ziva, please look at me." Tony asked, hoping that if she looked at him, he could silently convey the fact that he was there for her. Ziva however, still refused to look at him, his reaction to what she was about to tell him, would no doubt hurt her beyond repair. Looking at him when she shattered his image of her, she was not sure if she could handle that.

"I killed Ari, not Gibbs." Ziva said softly. This time she felt herself break, something that had weighed her down, the secret that finally became too much for her to bare. She thought when she would finally share it with someone other than Gibbs, she would feel reflief, but she did not. Her sobs stopped as the pain and hurt she felt was too big. It felt like that secret had protected her heart all this time, as long as people did not know that part of her, they might still care for her. Now that she had told someone she felt all that hope leave her body.

Ziva waited as tears silently fell from her eyes, her breathing shallow, as she felt empty and scared. She expected to hear Tony get up and walk to the door to leave, but after what felt like hours she still hadn't heard anything. Her tears had stopped by now and she wondered if she might have missed him leaving, so she looked back over her shoulder. He was sitting there waiting for her to turn around, to look at him. His face was unreadable and did nothing to calm the extremely complicated knot that was still growing in her stomach and around her heart.

Tony looked at her, his heart broke for her by seeing her exhausted expression. She looked drained, empty and utterly defeated. But for the first time tonight Tony knew what the right thing to say was.

"Thank you." He said softly, his face now showed a warmth she had not seen often. His eyes appeared brighter with unshed tears and a depth of trust. Ziva had not expected those words, at all.

"Thank you, for killing the man that murdered my partner, that was about to murder Gibbs. Thank you for saving my family at the cost of yours." Tony said reaching out for her shoulder again to make her turn towards him. She came willingly this time her eyes filling up with tears and started falling again, out of sheer relief.

"Ziva, you might have fired that gun, but Ari was a dead man the moment he murdered Kate. You're not the reason that he's dead. He was the reason he deserved to die. You are also not the reason that your father is dead. Or the reason your mother is dead, or Tali. You are however the reason my family is still alive. So thank you for saving my family."

Ziva looked up at him, not knowing how she deserved a man so loyal as he was. So caring and spirited. Her tears just kept falling, she wasn't sure anymore whether they were tears of sadness or relief. All the emotions she had gone through in the past 30 minutes made it feel like hours had passed. Ziva looked at him, he looked at her no differently than he had during the past week. Maybe if she looked closely she might even say he looked at her with even more affection, but brushed that thought aside. For now.

"Ziva there is no proper way I can thank you for what you did, no way I could ever repay you." Tony said softly.

"Can you forgive me?" Ziva asked the sound barely above a whisper.

"Nothing to forgive. Ziva." Tony said pulling her closer and Ziva shifted so she was half sitting on the couch and half lying against him. Tony didn't mind though. He was just happy she let him be there for her.

"Can you forgive me for keeping it a secret for so long?" She whispered into his shirt.

"Ziva you had every right to keep this a secret and even though I wish I had known about it before, I'm happy you're trusting me with it now. So again there is nothing to forgive." Tony said, lightly stroking her hair while his other hand was securely around her waist.

Ziva looked at him. "Tony?." Her eyes were pleading with him and Tony sighed in resignation and rested his head against hers.

"Yes, Ziva. you're forgiven." He said and Ziva's eyes finally brighted up a little even though tears were still pooling around in her eyes threatening to spill.

She nodded and than hit her face in the crook of his neck. "Good." She said as her tears fell, knowing that if that secret could not have broken their relationship nothing will, most certainly not a few tears.

Tony let her cry, finally figuring out that there were no right words, to get through these horrible, defeating and draining moments in life. You just needed somebody that you trust implicitly to hold you while you work your way through it.

**A/N: Please share your thoughts with me and PurpleJelloTIVA206, if you were sad, understanding or happy. If you cried, laughed out loud or screamed at the screen. We want to know it all and I promise we don't judge!**


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